Nick Henderson

Ministers will this week decide how to respond to sweeping changes announced by the UK government, which claims the UK system is too generous compared to other European nations.

Jim O’Callaghan has said he is “committed to ensuring that Ireland is not viewed more favourably than the UK by those seeking to claim asylum”.

Speaking at the G20 summit in South Africa, Taoiseach Micheál Martin hinted at changes to citizenship and family reunification applications, with welfare payments and debts to the State to be taken into account.

Irish Refugee Council CEO Nick Henderson said the proposed changes “severely undercut two key pillars of refugee integration: a clear route to citizenship and the ability to reunite with family” and would harm integration.

“If adopted, these policies will keep families apart — separating children from their parents and separating partners, leaving loved ones languishing in their countries potentially also at risk of persecution,” he said.

“They will also actively undermine refugees’ ability to build stable lives in Ireland, keeping people who have already been found to be at risk of persecution in a permanent second-class status.”

He continued: “According to the reports, to be reunited with their family, people will now have to find accommodation in an already stretched rental market, prove they have the means to rent it, and then wait for their application to be processed, which currently takes a year and a half.

“This mirrors a requirement in the recent Afghan admissions programme that simply did not work and pushed people into extremely difficult situations.

“The reported proposal that a person can only have received State support for four months out of five years is bizarre.

“Under this rule, a refugee seeking citizenship would be forced to avoid all social supports — regardless of ill health, disability, pregnancy, sudden job loss or any other legitimate need. It is deeply irresponsible to put people in such a position.”

Mr Henderson concluded: “Ireland is a republic, founded — at least in principle — on respect for human rights.

“We face a choice: follow the UK down a retrograde path, or stand firm and defend the values we claim to hold including that families should be together and people who are here as refugees can build their lives and be independent.”